Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Pauly has announced a new addition to her staff. Caitlin Fager started on Monday as the event and membership manager. She replaces Christina Crane, who took another position in late 2017.

Members of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, representatives of town government and the business community, friends and family are expected to be in attendance at a ribbon-cutting and grand opening to the news restaurant on the Island.

Year in and year out, the best amateur golfers from around the world storm into Lewiston around the middle of July to play in the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club. 2018 will be the 60th anniversary of the tournament. A press event Thursday evening announced the stakes will be even higher this year.

Wheatfield Commons, a DePaul Senior Living Community located at 3920 Forest Parkway in Wheatfield, celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Dec. 20. A 55,000-square-foot senior living community providing both assisted living and memory care accommodations to families in and around Niagara County, Wheatfield Commons is now open and accepting new residents.

United Way of Greater Niagara on Friday received a $5,000 check from Northwest Bank. Northwest Senior Vice President and North District Manager Lena Prohaska, Vice President and Community Relationship Officer Trina Burruss and Lewiston Branch Manager Gloria Baker presented the check to United Way of Greater Niagara President and CEO Connie Brown.

New York Power Authority trustees last week voted to continue financial support for the area's Discover Niagara Shuttle, a free bus service that carries visitors to 14 tourist destinations along the Niagara River/Niagara Gorge corridor, including the Power Authority's recently enhanced Power Vista Visitors Center.

Since 1998, Dr. Thomas Notaro has been practicing chiropractic medicine in this area. On Thursday, he and his wife and office manager Jodi Notaro cut the ribbon to a new 1,200-square-foot expansion at his Niagara Falls location.

Following significant discussion, the Lewiston Town Board, by a 4-1 vote, gave its endorsement Monday of a local law to approve the amended Rubino brothers' concept PUD - with conditions - for a proposed development off Upper Mountain Road near Bronson Drive. The planned unit development covers 107 units, including 91 patio homes and four-unit townhouse buildings on property currently owned by Donald Smith.

Niagara Casinos announces the re-opening of the second level at Casino Niagara after completing a $3.5 million renovation to the space, and investing a further $3.5 million on new slot machines and gaming technology throughout the property.

North Tonawanda Mayor Arthur G. Pappas joined New York State Sen. Robert Ortt, Niagara County legislators Randy Bradt and Rich Andres, North Tonawanda Common Council President Eric Zadzilka, Alderman-at-Large Jeffrey Glatz, Alderman-at-Large Robert Pecoraro, Alderwoman Donna Braun, Alderman Mark Berube, City Clerk/ Treasurer Dan Quinn and City Attorney Luke Brown, as well as officials from Visoneco Site Development, for a groundbreaking event Friday at 600 River Road.

Representatives of the United Way of Greater Niagara held a press conference Friday morning to announce details of "Go for the Goal," a fundraiser the organization is holding Friday, Nov. 3, to help reach its campaign goal. The media gathering was held at the Hard Rock Cafe, Niagara Falls USA - site of the benefit event.

Faculty mailboxes typically don't generate much excitement. But when they're in a building that's on the National Register of Historic Places, and that's home to an architecture school that has a reputation for "making," only the best, designed in-house, will do.

Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick wasted no time Monday in telling a standing-room-only crowd inside Town Hall the Town Council would not vote on John and Joe Rubino's planned unit/urban development concept for Upper Mountain Road. Instead, "I want to listen to what everybody has to say ... and take it in," he said prior to the work session.

Niagara County economic development officials will pitch the county to global commerce giant Amazon as an optimal site to expand its entry into foreign markets and optimize legal free trade and international commerce opportunities in an era when multilateral trade treaties are undergoing increasing scrutiny at the federal level.

The family of the late Robert O. Steinjan Sr. recently visited The Heart Center of Niagara at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center to present a donation of $8,100 in support of the hospital's new inpatient cardiac and stroke care unit. The gift represents proceeds from the second annual Robert O. Steinjan Sr. Memorial Car Show, held this summer at Hoover's Dairy Store in Sanborn.

The 18th annual Jack Beatty Memorial Cruise and Clambake, held July 14, continued its tradition of lively entertainment, food and leisurely sailing, all to benefit Niagara Hospice patients. The event, now in its 18th year, raised funds to support the programs and services of Niagara Hospice. A skipper's check presentation will be in October at Niagara Hospice.

Niagara Hospice recently held a reception of staff, volunteers and close friends and family of Paul R. Beatty Sr. of Youngstown to reveal an unexpected, but much-deserved surprise for Mr. Beatty: The residential wing of Niagara Hospice House is now known as the Paul R. Beatty, Sr. Residential Suites in honor of the man who is commonly known as "the guy with the Hospice hat."

Sheraton At The Falls has announced it received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Now in its seventh year, the achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned top traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include accommodations, restaurants and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined Tuesday by representatives from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, the Empire State Development Corp., the City of Lackawanna, and Tecumseh Redevelopment Inc. along with numerous other officials and agencies, to announce Erie County's acquisition of 148 acres of industrial land at the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna.

Instacart, the technology-driven, nationwide on-demand grocery delivery service, and Wegmans Food Markets will expand same-day grocery delivery service to Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in August. The service allows Wegmans customers to complete their grocery shopping online, and have their orders delivered to their doors in as little as an hour.